Britannica Sources used in this answer

What agreement caused tensions between Raila Odinga’s LDP and Mwai Kibaki’s NAK?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

The tensions between Raila Odinga’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Mwai Kibaki’s National Alliance of Kenya (NAK) stemmed from a pre-election agreement within the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC).

Although the full terms were not publicly disclosed, the two parties reportedly promised to equitably share cabinet positions and power if Kibaki were elected president. A key component of this understanding was the creation of a strong prime minister position, which was intended to be filled by Odinga.1

Following Kibaki’s victory in 2002, the LDP accused him of reneging on this power-sharing agreement. Tensions escalated further when Kibaki and his supporters backtracked on the proposal to establish a strong prime minister role, instead advocating for a draft constitution that provided for a weak prime minister and a strong president. This disagreement eventually led to a public rift, the failure of the 2005 constitutional referendum, and the eventual collapse of the NARC coalition.12